Hi y’all, Dan here. It’s a cool morning in southeast Kansas. The temperature is 37 degrees. The sun is just coming up over the horizon. I love this time of day. The sun has that deep orange glow. It seems to burn into the sky and change colors from dark blue to shades of purple, pink, and lighter blues. The puffy clouds are revealed, just hanging out in the sky. Then, as if a blanket is pulled back from the rest of the sky, the beauties of day emerge.
The clouds are just hanging out. That’s our invitation to just hang out together for a few minutes. So, welcome to Wandering Monk Hikes Podcast!
I thought that I would continue from my last episode and share more about first getting into backpacking. There was so much I didn’t know. It was intimidating. Rick had let me barrow gear when we hiked. The backpack was very different than my old Army rucksack. The padded shoulder straps and waist belt were, well they were comfortable. Rick told me how the frame of the backpack was designed to transfer the weight from my shoulders to my hips. I didn’t understand why that was important. That is, until we got on the trail. Isn’t that the way a lot of things are though, I don’t understand the importance of something until I need it. Well, maybe I can keep one of you from learning the hard way as I tell you, my stories.
Well, back to the pack. He said that when my shoulders or upper back began to hurt, then I should loosen my sternum strap (that small strap that goes between the shoulder straps and crosses my chest) and tighten my waist strap. When my lower back begins to hurt, then I loosen my waist strap and tighten my sternum strap. It seemed backwards to me, but it worked. I could shift the weight of the pack from shoulder to waist and back again to relieve my tired aching body parts. Of course, he never said what to do when everything ached. I guess that is what ibuprofen is for.
Rick’s backpack was an Osprey with an “anti-gravity” system. Well, that sounded great. Maybe the pack would pick me up and float on those challenging ups. What it really is though is a very comfortable system that hold the pack off my back just up for air to flow up and cool me off. I liked it so much that when my wife and I visited the LL Bean Store in Maine, I bought one for myself. Actually, my wife bought it for me. The young man at the store measured my back, adjusted an Osprey Atmos 65, dropped in a 25-pound bag of rice, and sent me off to walk around the store. I fell into the right way of investing into a backpack. Let a professional size and adjust the pack. Walk around and try it out. The backpack is one of the BIG 3, the main systems needed for backpacking, and the most expensive parts of it.
Now some say to buy your backpack last. The thought is that you WILL fill up whatever you get. My Osprey was a 65-liter pack, meaning that it holds 65 liters of gear. True to the thought, I filled it to the brim. When I began the Appalachian Trail in March of 2021, my pack weighed in at 35 pounds. Less than many, but I would learn that it was much more than I really needed.
I loved my backpack. I still do. This gear quickly becomes familiar and trusted friends. So, when I went lighter, I felt like I was betraying my friend a little. Still, I made friends at Hilltop Packs. This small cottage industry in western Pennsylvania is owned by Ben McMillan. Ben and his crew are innovative and produce quality, ultra-lightweight gear. I contacted Ben in December and asked about making a custom backpack with my “Wandering Monk” logo printed on the material. He said that they could do that. Then when I asked if it would be ready for me to start the Appalachian Trail in March, he said, “You probably ought to go to another company.” He gave me names of his competitors. I was so impressed by his integrity that I chose his backpack over the others. I am so glad I did. It is very light weight and made of durable,waterproof dyneema material. My Osprey pack weighs in at 4-1/2 pounds empty. The empty weight of my Hilltop Packs backpack is slightly more than 1 pound. Three and a half pounds doesn’t sound like much until you fill it and wear it for 15 miles up and down rugged trails. Someone has said, “worry about the ounces and the pounds will take care of themselves.” Well, I am not a gram wienny, but I do look for ways to lighten my load.
My new backpack holds 45 liters. I was worried about losing 20 liters of capacity. I should have known that I would take out what I really didn’t need. My overall pack weight (including 5 days of food and 2 liters of water) went from 35 pounds to 24 pounds. The dry weight (that includes everything except consumables like food, water, and fuel) went from 28 pounds to 14 pounds. My back and knees and lungs thank me every step that I take.
What’s my takeaway? Invest in quality for your BIG 3. Your backpack, tent, and sleep system. This is an investment, but it will set you up for success. Some will advise new hikers to buy cheap and see if you are going to like backpacking. There is some logic to that advice. After all, if you pay a lot of money for gear and use it once to learn – I hate this! then you are out a lot of money for nothing. But you can resell the gear. Quality gear is always in demand. There are facebook groups and hiking clubs that connect wanting hikers to unwanted gear.
I have a different opinion. Buy a day pack big enough for a lunch, water, first aid kit, an emergency blanket (for in case you have an unanticipated problem), and a jacket. You can pick them up for a much better price that a large backpack. You don’t need as much gear. Go on some longer day hikes. Get out and see sights. Go home at night. Maybe, if you have a tent (or can barrow one) and a sleeping bag, sleep in your backyard. It’s okay. Get a taste of it all. Walk enough to get sore muscles. Learn to stay warm at night with a sleeping pad. Eat some trail meals and see what you like (and don’t like).
Sure, you can make your first hiking experience to be an Appalachian Trail thru-hike. Dixie did that. But chances are, and if you aren’t familiar with the outdoors, the chances are great! that you won’t have a good experience. But this isn’t a race. It isn’t even a marathon. This is backpacking. When we slow down to 2 miles an hour and look at what is around of to see there are beauties waiting in the woods, then we discover that our physical health improves. Blood pressure, blood sugar (in my case), oxygen levels, even bone density improves.
Our mental health improves. We step away from distressing news reports and competing demands for attention. I focus on what I need today. What is around me now. The smells, sounds, and tastes of nature. Mentally, I am calmed.
Spiritually I am healthier because of the trail. There is something for me in hearing birds, seeing animals, smelling pine and cedar, and being immersed in creation. I begin to feel less a foreigner looking at the beauty that surrounds me and more a part of that beauty. There is a peaceful harmony that seeps deep into my soul. The stressors grow quiet, and I am filled with something indescribable. This is what the Desert Fathers and Mothers called prayer. They called it Lectio Divina – speaking the divine. It was a rhythm of see or hearing without trying to interpret or understand. Then, after drinking deep of that experience, they reflected on what they had seen or heard. Next, they responded to it. They may break out in song, or shouts, or just weep, but they became part of their experience. Finally, they rested. That is the way I like to hike. I do it best when I hike alone. Still, I enjoy the company of others. But that’s another topic for another time.
We began talking about backpacks and somehow got off onto the health benefits of the trail. I think that is where I find my love for hiking. It is like a special, soothing ointment poured out over my injured and aching soul. But let’s get back to gear for now.
The backpack is one of a hiker’s “BIG THREE” and it is a worthy investment to get a comfortable pack. Before forking out $300 dollars or more on a pack, I do recommend getting something smaller that can carry a few things for a day hike. Get out and walk. You may only walk a mile, and that’s okay. I recommend walking toward a goal, a place that offers a reward. I used to walk to a rock that stuck out into a local creek. The rock was long and flat. It was interesting in itself. It stuck out halfway across the swift waters of a creek. The water ran down, making a rumbling sound as it poured over and around other large rocks. It is a beautiful spot where I would sit to just take it all in. I wasn’t tired, but that wasn’t the purpose of my rest spot. It was just pretty and I just enjoyed it. After sitting a while, I would walk back home. I was better for it.
So, start with short walks that help you build to longer walks. Don’t be in too much of a hurry. Make enjoyment the priority. It’s amazing what a cheap daypack can offer you. You can also look for good deals and discounts. REI is a great store! If you join the COOP, I think it’s a one-time $30 membership, then you get notified of their offers. You also receive an annual dividend based on the amount of money you spend through the year.
Okay, I spend way too much! But this year I had enough dividend to get a new pair of trail shoes. I got a new pair of Altra Lone Peak 6.0s and eight new MSR groundhog tent stakes. Don’t worry if you don’t know what I’m talking about. We’ll talk more about it in future podcasts. The point I’m making is don’t be in too much of a hurry. Slow down to enjoy getting your body ready for hiking and use the time to look for good gear at good prices.
This is the third time I mentioned the BIG 3 on this episode. If you have backpacked for a while, you know what I’m talking about. If you haven’t, then you may not be familiar. Let me share. The BIG 3 includes my backpack, as we have been discussing. It also includes my shelter. Some use hammocks, others (like me) prefer to stay on the ground and use a tent. Both hammocks and tents come in many configurations. I think it is best that we talk about them in the next episode. And the third member of our BIG 3 is the sleep system.
I call it a sleep system, because there are a few component needed for good sleep. You may think, “All I need is a sleeping bag. Throw it on the ground, and I’m good.” Well, NO YOU’RE NOT!! You are going to freeze! The ground is like a big heat sink. It just pulls all of the heat out of your body and absorbs it into itself.
I remember years ago; I was stationed in upstate New York. I visited a friend who put me in their guest room. The room had a waterbed. I had never slept on a waterbed before. Excited by the thoughts of a wonderful night of sleep, I crawled in and nearly froze to death! The watery mattress pulled all the heat from my body. I didn’t know that I was supposed to turn on the heater! Sleeping on the ground is like that. I need a good sleeping bag AND a good mattress. I use a Big Agnes Ultra insulated air mattress. Again, we’ll talk about sleep systems more in the future. It’s only important to know that my sleep system includes my sleeping bag (but some use a quilt, and we’ll talk about those too), my sleeping pad or air mattress, and a pillow. Yes, I need a pillow. It doesn’t need to be fancy, but something to hold my head up in line with the rest of my body. Otherwise, I wake up the next day and my neck so stiff that I start the hurting when I don’t need to hurt like that.
That’s the BIG 3. We talked a lot about my backpack. We discussed how the trail is good for you all over. We introduced shelters and sleep systems. These are some of the foundations to help get ready for hiking. The trail is a special place. We step onto its pathways with our own goals in mind. I know many who begin wanting to “conquer the trail” the want to “bag peaks” or hike “big miles.” To you I say, “God bless you. The trail is waiting for you and will give you all you can handle.” Personally, I hike to experience the trail, to see its beauty for myself. To smell the scents of nature. To learn its lessons. There is a hiker’s saying that we all keep in mind as we talk about these adventures. The saying is “Hike your own hike.”
I have a YouTube channel that I invite you to subscribe to. It’s free and it helps me a lot. The channel is Wandering Monk Paths. I hope you can enjoy some of the beauties of various trails in my videos. This year I am hiking a variety of different places through a series I have called “Trails less Traveled.” I also have a website with links to a blog, pictures of various trails, and links to my YouTube channel. You can find that website at www.wanderingmonkhikes.com.
These are the ways I am sharing what I have learned and what I am learning. I would love to hear what you are learning too. So, let’s go walking – together!